Each spring and fall, Team El Paso travels to Washington, D.C., to meet with our elected leaders and federal agency management to discuss issues of paramount importance to our region and advocate for policies that align with our community's legislative priorities.

The El Paso delegation is made up of civic, business and elected leadership and led by The Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. In addition to the Chamber's leadership, joining us on this visit was Mayor John Cook, County Judge Veronica Escobar and Fort Bliss Garrison Commander, Col. Brant Dayley.

In the past several years, we have focused on such critical issues as the Base Realignment and Closure process (BRAC). Not since the 2005 BRAC has our community faced a more important time. Sequestration and the ongoing budget challenges, and Congress' inability to reach agreement on the growing deficit, demand that we continue our engagement to find reasonable and acceptable solutions.

In the period of three days, we pursued two tracks: One track focused on military and defense concerns for our three regional military installations. The other track focused on immigration and border policies and the funding constraints that continue to strain our local economies and the nation as a whole.

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Our chair, Kathleen Campbell Walker, led the meetings on the Hill and with Customs and Border Protection. On the immigration reform front, Team El Paso learned that the House Homeland Security committee will be having a hearing on March 20 regarding metrics to measure border security. A series of hearings on the subject is planned while the majority crafts a border security bill to be introduced between Easter and July 4.

In the meantime, CBP has issued its furlough notices regarding sequestration. It is not expected that the sequestration cuts will be restored in FY 2013 (ending Sept. 30 2013). In fact, there are few hopeful speculations on when the cuts might be restored even during the new FY 2014.

CBP has posted updates regarding the impact of sequestration upon the agency on cbp.gov. Furlough days are expected to be staggered to one day per pay period.

Team El Paso was encouraged to provide data by the end of this month regarding the on-the-ground impact of sequestration to the leadership of DHS committees as well as to the administration and party leadership.

The DHS committees are also looking for ways to increase funding to CBP.

On the military track, Team El Paso was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet with Assistant Secretary of the Army Katherine Hammack, who has visited Fort Bliss many times; Lt. Gen. Robert Lennox; former commander of Fort Bliss and Maj. Gen. John Rossi, whose most recent assignment at Fort Bliss was as the commander of the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command.

Our main concern, in short, is that the fiscal impact from sequestration for the remainder of this budget year is $500 billion. Yes, that is with a "B."

There is never a good time to cut defense spending. Given the realities of ongoing wars and international threats, we are trying to convince Congress that the required defense budget cuts will challenge our readiness as a nation.

It became very clear, very quickly, that we will need to return to Washington several more times in the near future repeating our message to Congress.

We want to thank Team El Paso participants and Congressmen Beto O'Rourke and Pete Gallego, for their collaboration in our mutual efforts.

Richard Dayoub is president and CEO of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. Kathleen Campbell Walker is the chair of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce.